Thousands march in Spain to challenge diversity lessons in schools

Thousands marched to defend the right of parents to withdraw their children from diversity lessons(Photo: Evangelical Council of Murcia)

Thousands of people marched in Spain last week to challenge LGBT diversity lessons in schools.

Around 5,000 people took part in the march in the south-eastern city of Murcia under the banner of "our children belong to us". 

The slogan for the march was a response to Spain's Education Minister, Isabel Celáa, who is reported to have said that "no one should commit the mistake of thinking that children belong to their parents". 

The march comes after Spain's left-wing coalition government said it would overturn the right of parents in Murcia to withdraw their children from diversity lessons.

The government told Murcia to overturn the opt-out within a month, saying that "this sort of conscientious objection is not covered by the law". 

Organisers of the march said they were calling for an "education free of gender ideology", Evangelical Focus reports. 

Pastor Ángel Zapata, President of the Evangelical Council of Murcia, told Spanish newspaper Protestante Digital, that parents were prepared to march again to make their voices heard. 

"It has been an opportunity to go out and reclaim our role as parents. We will see what happens now, but parents are ready to fight this battle, and if there is a need for us to go back to the streets again, we will do so," Zapata said.